摘 要

本文主要基于多个翻译理论指导下对《春江花月夜》三个译本进行多角度多层次的对比分析。其理论包括：由德国功能派翻译理论家汉斯·威密尔提出的翻译目的论，美国当代翻译理论家尤金·A·奈达(Eugene Nida)的动态翻译对等理论以及生态翻译学理论。所选译本译者分别为Charles Budd, W.J.B Fletcher,和许渊冲。

本文主要通过对三个译本的各理论适用性分析，翻译手法的效用分析，译者环境的对比分析，以及译文目的与效果对等的有效性分析，学习三个翻译大家的翻译方法，了解如何运用翻译技巧，解决诗歌中由文化差异造成的“不可译”“词不达意”等现象。并通过对比分析得出，在此类诗歌中，何种翻译理论对译者和译本适用性更强，能最大程度上达到诗歌翻译的“忠实”，“通顺”效果，从而达到传扬中华传统文化的根本目的。

关键词：春江花月夜；翻译目的论；动态对等理论；生态翻译学理论；翻译方法

Abstract

This study analyzes three English versions of Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye in different levels and multiple point of view based on three translation theories. The theories include Skopos theory, the theory of Dynamic Equivalence, and the theory of Eco-Translatology. The translators of three versions are Charles Budd, W.J.B Fletcher, and Xu Yuanchong respectively.

The purpose of this paper is to figure out the way of interpreting the untranslatable or inarticulate expressions caused by cultural diversity, and to examine the optimal theory which can achieve the effect of "faithfulness" and "smoothness" in our conventional ancient poetry translation. In this paper, the analysis from four aspects concerning the applicability of the three theories to the poem, the effectiveness of translation techniques, the contrasts among translators’ environment, and the equivalence between the purpose and the effect of three versions contributes greatly to the purpose.

Key Words: Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye; Skopos theory; the theory of Dynamic Equivalence; the theory of Eco-Translatology; translation techniques

Contents

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Research Background 1

1.2 Research Innovation 2

1.3 Research Objectives and Significance 3

2 Theoretical Framework and Literary Criticism 4

2.1 Theoretical Basis 4

2.2 Comments on Theories 4

3 Textual Analysis 5

3.1 Application of Three Theories 5

3.2 Translation Techniques in Three Versions 9

4 Conclusion 11

4.1 Research Findings 11

4.2 Limitations and Outlook 12

References 13

Acknowledgements 14

Appendix 15

A Study on Three English versions of Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye from the Perspective of Multiple Theories

1 Introduction

Research Background

While Chinese conventional culture is being well received all over the world, as one of the most magnificent parts of it, Chinese ancient poems attract mass scholars to interpret their beauty. The topic on Chinese ancient poetry translation prevails at home and abroad. However, too much significance is attached to the interpreting results rather than to the application of translation techniques, let alone to a systematical analysis based on current translation theories. The most frequently translated and explored literary works are four classic Chinese novels and the Four Books and Five Classics. Hence, this study on Chinese ancient poetry which takes Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye as an example brings life to existing ancient works analysis. It offers the focal point of traditional literary works translation academia a new direction to which experts pay less attention. In view that the three prevailing translation theories are relatively comprehensive for translation, this paper set Skopos theory, the theory of Dynamic Equivalence, and the theory of Eco-Translatology as its foundation.

By comparison, the distinction between different versions are more conspicuous. And the choices of three versions are based on translators’ different nations, social status and research realm so that their cultural diversity may be more apparent, which is the prominent reason for versions’ differences. In addition, the poem, Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye, is recognized as the unparalleled representative among any other poetry in the flourishing Tang Dynasty, which can be more typical for analysis of this kind. For ancient poetry translation, the way in which the translators apply translation techniques to poetry interpreting in order to realize the ultimate results is accessible to all of our English learners. And for traditional literary academia, this study is beneficial to promote the dissemination of Chinese culture by a better combination of the most suitable translation theories and techniques.

Research Innovation

Recently, the upsurge of scholars who are with great fervor on Chinese ancient poetry interpreting and its literary criticizing gives birth to mass masterpieces on single aspect or the analysis on rhetorical devices and inner ideas. However, the distinctions from different cultural backgrounds, the application of different theories and translation skills of translators still exert great impact on transcripts’ diversity. Hence, this paper contains the analysis of three translated versions about one specific poem, Chun Jiang Hua Yue Ye, based on multiple translating theories, aiming to figure out the most applicable way of interpreting ancient poems, which is of great significance for poetry translation and cultural transmission.

In this paper, diversified theories are used to demonstrate the differences among three versions, which provides more comprehensive translation perspectives than a single theory application. What the majority of papers focus on is the content of this poem or only one version, while this paper is valuable and necessary to deal with the usage of translation techniques based on multiple theories in the realm of translation. We may divine the whole from a part in Chinese ancient poems translation and refine our own skills, accounting for the results of this paper. It means one significant step closer to Chinese conventional culture promoting.

Research Objectives and Significance

In this paper, four questions will be taken into consideration, which are how the three theories are applied to the poem, why they use translation techniques efficiently, what the contrasts among translators’ environment impacts on their interpreting, and whether the equivalence between the purpose and the effect realizes in three versions. In the way of comparison among them, consultation with supervisors, and reference to the library and the Internet, the answers to those questions will spontaneously turn out. The answers are the keys to accomplishing purposes, which facilitate our ancient poems translation and even contribute to carrying forward Chinese traditional culture. What’s more, a relatively better theory can be found which is the fittest to ancient poems translation by comparison and analysis, thus making our translation efficiently and systematically.

This paper simply serves as a catalyst for a new direction of traditional literature translation based on multiple prevailing theories, which may help to appeal to more experts studying on this aspect. Besides, it can be beneficial for interpreters to learn from their translation devices and interpreting expressions.

2 Theoretical Framework and Literary Criticism

2.1 Theoretical Basis

In 1978, Skopos theory was put forward by German translator Vermeer who used a Greek word “Skopos” to convey the meaning of “purpose”. It is a theory that demonstrates the relationship between the interpreting procedure and the ultimate product, in which the role the original text plays is undermined by the creation of the translators and the priority to the functional purpose of the final draft. This theory has been refined and elucidated by several following researchers such as Nord, Honig and so on. However, this target version oriented theory cannot be appropriate to general ancient poetry translation. More translation theories need referring to in this study (Li amp; Duan, 2016).

The theory of Dynamic Equivalence is also known as functional equivalence proposed by a devoted translation theoretician Eugene A. Nida, which facilitate the equivalence between source text and the target text from the perspective of linguistics. As a standard of balancing the free translation and direct translation, it is composed of the reciprocity from four levels: vocabulary, syntax, text and genre so that the meaning of the original can be sufficiently expressed by means of the most appropriate, equivalent and native language (Yang amp; Ren, 2014). It is a theory that emphasizes the completely interpreting of the source version. Hence, the combination between this two can be much complementary in poetry translation analysis.

As for the theory of Eco-Translatology, it is an interdisciplinary theory with the solid philosophical foundation and promising prospect（Hu Gengshen, 2008). As is known to interpreters, the distinction among ecological environment is bound to generate the differences in translation processes and products. Therefore, the linkage among three theories is apparent to contribute to the study on extrinsic and intrinsic diversity of three chosen translated versions and seeking for the better way of interpreting Chinese ancient poetry.